The present invention relates to a method for toner development of an electrostatic latent image, which is formed on a photosensitive member and/or an electrostatic information recording medium by performing image exposure using the photosensitive member and the electrostatic information recording medium, and also to the method to form the image using said development method.
Conventionally, high resolution photographing techniques have been practiced, utilizing a silver halide photographic method, an electrophotography technique, a television technique, a solid state image sensor (such as CCD), etc. However, these methods are disadvantageous in that, when image recording is of high quality and high resolution, the treatment process is more complicated, and when the process is simple, the memory function is lacking or the image quality is basically inferior.
The present applicant has already proposed a method to form an electrostatic latent image on an electrostatic information recording medium by exposure under voltage application (Japanese Patent Application No. 63-121592), by which it is possible to record the image with high quality and at high resolution for a long time through simple process and to repeatedly record and reproduce the memorized characters, line drawings, images and code (1,0) information as desired with the image quality suitable for each purpose.
With the electrostatic latent image by the exposure under voltage application, it is possible to obtain an analog recording of very high resolution, whereas the technique to turn it to a visible image with high fidelity is very difficult, and there has been a strong demand for a method to develop the electrostatic latent image in an easier manner and with high fidelity.